In the 2024 season, the girls’ basketball team brought home their first state championship in school history. With the key pieces of the team returning this year, they were ready for another dominant season. They finished the regular season 28-1, bringing home a Metro Conference Championship and an A-1 District Championship, and only battling one loss to Bellevue East earlier in the year.
The Cats stayed number one from preseason to the end and kept their eyes on the trophy to keep them motivated through the regular season. Coming into the tournament with a huge winning streak, the team is led by two Creighton commits, seniors Neleigh and Norah Gessert, and junior Kylee Paben.
In the tournament’s first round, the girls would face their Q Street rival, but this time at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The first quarter remained close scoring and looked like it would be a tight game, but then the Wildcats exploded, having a 26-13 lead at halftime. Keeping the lead for the remainder of the game, the Cats knocked out the Patriots with a score of 56-33, with leading scorers Paben and Neleigh Gessert guiding the team.
The Wildcats would take on Lincoln North Star as a second-round rematch from last season. Seeing them earlier in the year and having a dominant 52-29 victory, the girls knew it was a very capable win, but they needed to be on top of their game.
The Wildcats led in the first quarter, but then momentum shifted, and shots would not fall for the team, getting outscored 11-3 in the second quarter. After the half, it was a slow game for both teams and it remained extremely tight and was tied up at 25 going into the fourth and final quarter.
Since the offense could not produce as it usually does, the Cats depended on their defense, which ended up working. Holding the Navigators to 3 points for the whole fourth, and the team ends up taking the win, 34-28.
“We knew we had to turn the page and focus on our next opponent, Westside,” head coach Marc Kruger said. “Saturday morning, before we left, we watched film of them and talked about how we wanted to guard some of the things that they do, and then walked through it in the gym. We always try to keep things loose and not put extra pressure on the kids.”
After a tight game, the team survives and advances to championship Saturday. The Westside Warriors beat Bellevue West to also move on and face the Wildcats for the last game of the season.
As the game started, the Warriors won the tip-off, but the ball quickly came back to West, and the Wildcats never looked back. The team exploded right out of the first quarter and never lost the lead. All five starting players contributed all game, and their communication and teamwork left them with a 33-14 lead into halftime.
“We worked on team chemistry all season, and it came together in the championship game,” Paben said. “I have never been happier playing basketball. During halftime, we just said we have to play at our level and not down to anyone else’s, which got us through the rest of the game.”
Coming into the last half, the Cats never backed down and remained calm under any pressure. The team’s impressive defence and offense stayed strong, and in the end, they took home the Nebraska Class A State Championship with a dominating 70-44 win.
“When the final buzzer went off, I felt pure excitement and relief,” Neleigh Gessert said. “All the hard work we put in that led up to that moment was surreal. It felt amazing to celebrate with my teammates and coaches.”
After all winning last year, there was a new senior addition who helped guide this team to a win. Senior Jade Lewis transferred for the season and brought up the energy in every game, especially the last.
“I just left every single thing I had left on the court and stuck with my girls,” Lewis said. “Even though I only transferred here this year, it is the best decision I could have ever made. I felt so welcomed with them, and I love how competitive they are. Everyone wanted to win, and so we did.”
The team was led by Paben’s double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, later being named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament by NebPreps. Neleigh Gessert added 18 points, including four three-pointers, after the tournament, won the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year award, while Lewis chipped in with 15 points and 7 rebounds.
“It’s really hard to single out just one girl who stood out because they all played fantastically on both ends,” Kruger said. “But Neleigh hitting 3 three-point baskets in the 1st quarter got us off to a good start and settled us down. Kylee Paben was scoring inside and out, Jade Lewis was rebounding and scoring around the rim, and Norah was running the show and shutting down their best player.”
After a historic season, the Wildcats brought home their second-ever State Championship and have a strong team, with lots of experience, returning next year. Kylee Paben would finish the tournament with 13.7 PPG, 81.8% FT, and 8.7 RPG, while Neleigh Gessert ended with 13.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and nine total 3-pointers. The Cats lived up to their motto of “pressure is a privilege” and thrived off of it.
